More Like this

1. Prototype magnetic deflector system for light element particle induced X-ray emission analysis

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2025.165837  

   Byers, Todd A; Saini, Darshpreet Kaur; Bowen, Charles T; Rout, Bibhudutta; Glass, Gary A (October 2025, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms)

   Radović, Iva Bogdanović; Lorenz, Katharina; Wang, Yongqiang; Yasuda, Kazuhiro (Ed.)

   The improvements made to ultra-thin windows for X-ray detectors in recent years have allowed for the detection of elements as light as lithium. However, their use with particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) spectroscopy typically requires the addition of an absorber thick enough to prevent backscattered ions from reaching the detector. This also prevents lower energy (< 1 keV) X-rays from reaching the detector. By using a magnetic field to deflect backscattered ions away, the absorber can be eliminated, allowing for the detection of ultra-low energy X-rays. At the Ion Beam Laboratory of the University of North Texas, a prototype PIXE system using a magnetic deflector has been developed to allow for the detection and measurement of X-rays from light elements using a silicon drift X-ray detector with an ultra-thin window. With an average magnetic flux density of 0.88 T along the center, backscattered protons of an energy up to 1.22 MeV were successfully deflected away from the X-ray detector. Light element PIXE was performed with a 1 MeV proton beam on manganese oxide, sodium chloride and a Hibiscus rosa-sinensis leaf. Elements of 5 ≤ Z ≤ 30 were successfully detected. 

   more » « less
2. Search for high-mass exclusive γγ → WW and γγ → ZZ production in proton-proton collisions at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ = 13 TeV

   https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP07(2023)229  

   Tumasyan, A.; Adam, W.; Andrejkovic, J. W.; Bergauer, T.; Chatterjee, S.; Damanakis, K.; Dragicevic, M.; Escalante Del Valle, A.; Hussain, P. S.; Jeitler, M.; et al (August 2023, Journal of High Energy Physics)

   A bstract A search is performed for exclusive high-mass γγ → WW and γγ → ZZ production in proton-proton collisions using intact forward protons reconstructed in near-beam detectors, with both weak bosons decaying into boosted and merged jets. The analysis is based on a sample of proton-proton collisions collected by the CMS and TOTEM experiments at $$ \sqrt{s} $$ s = 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 100 fb − 1 . No excess above the standard model background prediction is observed, and upper limits are set on the pp → pWWp and pp → pZZp cross sections in a fiducial region defined by the diboson invariant mass m (VV) > 1 TeV (with V = W , Z) and proton fractional momentum loss 0 . 04 < ξ < 0 . 20. The results are interpreted as new limits on dimension-6 and dimension-8 anomalous quartic gauge couplings. 

   more » « less
3. The ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider: a description of the detector configuration for Run 3

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/19/05/P05063  

   Aad, G; Abbott, B; Abbott, DC; Abdallah, J; Abeling, K; Abidi, SH; Aboulhorma, A; Abovyan, S; Abramowicz, H; Abreu, H; et al (May 2024, Journal of Instrumentation)

   Abstract The ATLAS detector is installed in its experimental cavern at Point 1 of the CERN Large Hadron Collider. During Run 2 of the LHC, a luminosity of  ℒ = 2 × 10³⁴cm^-2s^-1was routinely achieved at the start of fills, twice the design luminosity. For Run 3, accelerator improvements, notably luminosity levelling, allow sustained running at an instantaneous luminosity of  ℒ = 2 × 10³⁴cm^-2s^-1, with an average of up to 60 interactions per bunch crossing. The ATLAS detector has been upgraded to recover Run 1 single-lepton trigger thresholds while operating comfortably under Run 3 sustained pileup conditions. A fourth pixel layer 3.3 cm from the beam axis was added before Run 2 to improve vertex reconstruction and b-tagging performance. New Liquid Argon Calorimeter digital trigger electronics, with corresponding upgrades to the Trigger and Data Acquisition system, take advantage of a factor of 10 finer granularity to improve triggering on electrons, photons, taus, and hadronic signatures through increased pileup rejection. The inner muon endcap wheels were replaced by New Small Wheels with Micromegas and small-strip Thin Gap Chamber detectors, providing both precision tracking and Level-1 Muon trigger functionality. Trigger coverage of the inner barrel muon layer near one endcap region was augmented with modules integrating new thin-gap resistive plate chambers and smaller-diameter drift-tube chambers. Tile Calorimeter scintillation counters were added to improve electron energy resolution and background rejection. Upgrades to Minimum Bias Trigger Scintillators and Forward Detectors improve luminosity monitoring and enable total proton-proton cross section, diffractive physics, and heavy ion measurements. These upgrades are all compatible with operation in the much harsher environment anticipated after the High-Luminosity upgrade of the LHC and are the first steps towards preparing ATLAS for the High-Luminosity upgrade of the LHC. This paper describes the Run 3 configuration of the ATLAS detector. 

   more » « less
4. Solution‐Processed Amorphous Zero‐Dimensional Organic Metal Halide Hybrid Films for Direct X‐Ray Detectors

   https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202509589  

   Olasupo, Oluwadara_J; Adewolu, Abiodun_M; Khizr, Mohammad; Manny, Tarannuma_F; Liu, He; Shonde, Tunde_B; Islam, Md_S; Moslemi, Sahel; Kim, Ethan; Winfred, JS_Raaj_V; et al (July 2025, Angewandte Chemie International Edition)

   Abstract Zero‐dimensional (0D) organic metal halide hybrids (OMHHs) are emerging materials with significant potential for optoelectronic applications, including direct X‐ray detectors. While 0D OMHH single crystals exhibit excellent X‐ray detection properties, their scalability remains a significant challenge due to the time‐intensive growth process and difficulty in producing large single crystals exceeding a few centimeters. This limitation hinders their practicality for large‐area detector applications. Here, we report for the first time the development of amorphous 0D OMHH films via solution processing for efficient direct X‐ray detection. By reacting a non‐crystalline organic halide, triphenyl(9‐phenyl‐9H‐carbazol‐3‐yl)phosphonium bromide (TPPCarzBr), with zinc bromide (ZnBr₂), we have successfully produced amorphous 0D (TPPCarz)₂ZnBr₄films with controlled thickness via facile solution processing. The organic cations (TPPCarz⁺) feature a lower bandgap than the ZnBr₄²⁻anions, enabling efficient molecular sensitization, where ZnBr₄²⁻anions serve as X‐ray absorbers and TPPCarz⁺ cations as charge transporters. Direct X‐ray detectors based on 0D (TPPCarz)₂ZnBr₄films demonstrate outstanding performance, achieving a stable X‐ray detection sensitivity of 2,165 µC Gy_air⁻¹cm⁻²at 20 V mm⁻¹ and a detection limit of 6.01 nGy_air s⁻¹. The amorphous nature of these films enhances their processability, allowing for fabrication in various sizes and shapes, and making them highly adaptable for scalable detector applications. 

   more » « less
5. CARNA with Artificial Intelligence - Use of Machine Learning for a Proton Imaging

   Akgun, U (February 2019, SPIE Medical Imaging Conference)

   Protons deposit the majority of their energy at the end of their lifetimes, characterized by a Bragg peak. This makes proton therapy a viable way to target cancerous tissue while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. However, in order to utilize this high precision treatment, greater accuracy in tumor imaging is needed. An approximate uncertainty of ±3% exists in the current practice of proton therapy due to conversions between x-ray and proton stopping power. An imaging system utilizing protons has the potential to eliminate that inaccuracy. This study focuses on developing a proof of concept proton-imaging detector built with a high-density glass scintillator. 

   more » « less